Hyperechogenic Area Research Articles

Atherosclerotic plaque in carotid arteries in systemic lupus erythematosus: frequency and associated risk factors

Atherosclerotic disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. No previous study has estimated carotid disease prevalence in such patients in Brazil. The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of atherosclerotic plaque in carotid arteries, in SLE patients and controls, and to verify possible associations between risk factors and carotid plaque. Cross-sectional study, at Universidade Federal de São Paulo--Escola Paulista de Medicina. Carotid plaque prevalence was assessed by B-mode ultrasound in 82 female SLE patients of mean age 34.0 years and 62 controls of mean age 35.7 years. Plaque was defined as a distinct area of hyperechogenicity and/or focal protrusion of the vessel wall into the lumen. Risk factors for coronary disease and SLE-related variables were determined. 50% of patients and 29% of controls presented carotid plaque. Older age, longer disease duration, higher Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) score, higher levels of low-density lipoprotein and greater diabetes, obesity, premature ovarian failure and family history of coronary artery disease were found in patients with carotid plaque than in those without plaque. Patients with plaque were younger than controls with plaque. SLE diagnosis, obesity, older age, higher SLICC score and longer disease duration were independent risk factors for carotid plaque. Young patients with SLE present higher prevalence of carotid plaque than controls. SLE diagnosis was a significant risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis.

Five‐year follow‐up study of hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease

Using transcranial sonography, an area of hyperechogenicity at the substantia nigra (SN) may be detected as a typical marker in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as in approximately 9% of healthy subjects vulnerable to nigrostriatal impairment. In this longitudinal study, we provide evidence that the area of SN hyperechogenicity does not change in the course of PD. In conjunction with earlier findings in children and adolescents, this evidence indicates that, from late adolescence onward, this ultrasound finding is a trait marker for nigrostriatal vulnerability.

Calcification of the Atrioventricular Node in a Fetus Affected by Congenital Complete Heart Block

At 18 weeks of gestation, a 28-year-old woman with known connective tissue disease had a fetal echocardiogram that showed a complete atrioventricular block and endocardial fibroelastosis of the right ventricle with a focal hyperechogenic area at the crux cordis and mild pericardial effusion (Figure, a). At 22 weeks, the pregnancy was interrupted without complication, and the mother at present is well. a, Horizontal cut of the …

Vulnerability of the nigrostriatal system as detected by transcranial ultrasound.

To assess the incidence of a hyperechogenic substantia nigra (SN) by transcranial sonography (TCS) in healthy people and to evaluate whether an enlarged hyperechogenic SN area is associated with functional impairment of the nigrostriatal system. Until now, preclinical impairment of the nigrostriatal system could be identified only by functional neuroimaging techniques such as PET in selected groups of patients. TCS is a new, noninvasive ultrasound technique that has demonstrated an increased echogenicity of the SN in patients with PD, whereas in most healthy individuals, the SN is either barely detectable or undetectable by TCS. Of 330 healthy volunteers, 8.6% exhibited an increased echogenicity of the SN. From these, 10 clinically healthy individuals with distinct unilateral or bilateral hyperechogenic signals in the SN region (SN area above 0.25 cm2) underwent comprehensive motor testing, neuropsychological assessment, MRI, and [18F]-dopa PET examination. With regard to motor functions, these individuals did not differ from 10 age- and sex-matched controls with a low echogenic SN and an area of echogenic signals below 0.2 cm2. Enlargement of hyperechogenic areas in the 10 healthy individuals was associated with a marked decrease in the accumulation of [15F]-dopa in the caudate nucleus and putamen. Substantia nigra hyperechogenicity appears to indicate a functional impairment of the nigrostriatal system. Transcranial sonography may be a suitable method of identifying persons at risk of nigrostriatal alterations, making possible the introduction of early neuroprotective therapy.

Computerized assessment of endometrial echogenicity: clues to the endometrial effects of premature progesterone elevation

Objective: To determine whether premature progesterone elevation affects the timing of hyperechogenic transformation of the endometrium during the early luteal phase of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) cycles. Design: Prospective analysis. Setting: Assisted Reproduction Unit, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Clamart, France. Patient(s): Fifty-nine women undergoing 59 IVF-ET cycles. Intervention(s): Patients underwent COH with a GnRH agonist and hMG. Endometrial echogenicity was assessed on the days of hCG administration, oocyte retrieval, and ET. Results are expressed as the extent of submyometrial hyperechogenic area in relation to the total endometrial surface as determined by a computer-assisted analysis system. Patients were sorted according to whether their plasma progesterone level exceeded 0.9 ng/mL (n = 26) or not (n = 33) on the day of hCG administration. Main Outcome Measure(s): Endometrial echogenicity. Result(s): On the day of hCG administration, the degree of endometrial echogenicity was similar in both groups (41% vs. 40%), but after hCG administration, it increased significantly faster in the high progesterone group than in the low progesterone group (70% vs. 63% at oocyte retrieval and 90% vs. 79% at ET, respectively). Conclusion(s): End–follicular phase elevation in plasma progesterone (>0.9 ng/mL on the day of hCG administration) was associated with a faster increase in endometrial echogenicity during the early luteal phase of COH cycles. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that premature progesterone elevation hastens the secretory transformation of the endometrium.

Sonographic evaluation of the uterus in postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen: characterization of mid-uterine abnormalities

Background: Tamoxifen is known to exert agonist estrogenic effects on the uterus. Its use in postmenopausal women has also been associated with various endometrial and uterine abnormalities that can be detected by endovaginal sonography. Objective: To study postmenopausal patients receiving tamoxifen who were referred for evaluation following the detection of abnormal uterine findings by endovaginal sonography. Methods: Fifty-two women treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer who were found to have an abnormal uterine sonogram constituted the study population. Uterine sonograms were reviewed and clinical and sonographic data were correlated with the results of the histologic examinations. Results: Forty-five women demonstrated a thickened mid-uterine structure. Of these, in thirty-nine patients (87%) either no tissue or scant fragments of normal endometrium were obtained on curettage, and six women (13%) had endometrial hyperplasia. Seven women had fluid loculation lined by thin endometrium. Their subsequent histologic examination was normal. The sonograms of the women who demonstrated an appearance of a thickened endometrium but no neoplasia, characteristically demonstrated hyperechogenic cystic area with no midline echo. Conclusions: Among 52 postmenopausal patients receiving tamoxifen presented with an abnormal uterine sonogram, 39 (75%) women were found to have a thick mid-uterine structure resembling a thickened endometrium without histologic evidence of neoplasia. This phenomenon can be characterized by typical sonographic features, and may be differentiated from other uterine abnormalities.

Ultrasonography in acute interstitial laser irradiation of the pig brain: preliminary results.

In this preliminary study, the use of real-time ultrasonography to visualize the effects of acute interstitial Nd:YAG laser irradiation was investigated in the normal pig brain. In six pigs, a craniotomy was performed. In the frontal or temporal lobe, a thermal laser lesion was made using a 600-micron-diameter optical fiber at powers of 1 W, 2 W, and 4 W with exposure times of 5 min and 10 min. Ten to thirty minutes after laser irradiation, the pigs were sacrificed. Ultrasound imaging was performed before, during, and after laser irradiation. During laser irradiation, a clear hyperechogenic area was observed around the fiber tip. The onset of the changes and the extent of the lesion were dependent on the power and exposure time. Histologic examination showed thermal lesions consisting of coagulation necrosis and edema. The size of the lesions correlated well with size on ultrasound imaging. The maximal lesion dimension was 12 mm in diameter (4 W for 5 min). In conclusion, within the limitations of this experimental setup, it is feasible to visualize interstitial laser-induced lesions in the brain by ultrasonography. This method is safe and simple and may be helpful in future applications of interstitial thermotherapy in brain tissue.